Cultivator.



E. M. DOWDY.

OULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1910.

Patented .Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. M. DOWDY. GULTIVATOR. APPLICATION FILED QTULY 18. 1910.

976,854. Patented N0v.29,1910.

% 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EWELL MONROE DOWDY, OF WATER VALLEY, TEXAS.

GULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Original application filed. April 2, 1910, Serial No. 553,146. Dividedand this application filed. July 18, 1910.

' Serial No. 572,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EWELL MONROE DownY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Water Valley, in the county of Tom Green and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in cultivators and moreparticularly to improved means for mounting and adjusting the cultivatorteeth carrying bars for use in connection with a seed planting machineof that character shown and described in my prior application for patentfiled April 2, 1910, Serial Number 553,146; and of which thisapplication is a division.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means formounting the cultivator bars upon the vertically movable frame shown anddescribed in the above identified application whereby they may either beadjusted independently of the frame or moved therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for yieldinglyholding the cultivator feet carrying bars in their proper operativepositions and to return the same to their proper positions uponencountering an obstruction.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of aportion of a cultivator illustrating the preferred embodiment of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa detail section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a detailperspective view of one of the cultivator bars; and Fig. 5 is afragmentary perspective View of the frame and guide.

Referring more particularly to the. drawings 5 indicates the verticallyadjustable wheel supported frame to which the cultivator bars areconnected. This frame is more particularly shown and described in theapplication above referred to and will not be set forth in detail. Itwill suffice to state that this frame is adjusted by means of a lever 6connected by a link rod 7 A plurality of cultivator bars 8 extendrearwardly from the vertically adjustable frame 5. Each of these barscarry a plurality of cultivating feet 9, to which the blades 10 aresecured. The cultivator feet would preferably be adjustably mounted uponthe bars 8 and any preferred means may be provided for securing thisadjustment, the same comprising no part of the present invention.

Upon the frame 5 a transverse shaft 18 is mounted in the bearings 19.Levers 20 are rotatably mounted on said shaft and to the ends of saidlevers the springs 21 are connected at one of their ends, the other endsof said springs being secured to the cultivator bars. It 'will beobserved from reference'to Fig. 2 that the springs 21 eX- tend directlyabove or in the same vertical plane with the bars 8 and as the lever isadjusted, the tension of these springs may be increased or decreased.The levers carry the usual dogs for engagement with the rack segments 22to hold the same in their adj usted positions.

Substantially U-shaped rock shafts 28 are mounted upon the adjustableframe 5 and upon the intermediate portions of the shafts blocks 24 aremounted to oscillate. The forward ends of the cultivator bars 8 arepivotally connected to the blocks 24 by means of the plates 25 wherebythe cultivator bars may have transverse movement. Upon the shaft 18carried by the frame 5, a lever 26 is rotatably mounted. This lever isprefen ably arranged centrally on the shaft and a plurality of link rods28 connect one end of the same with the cultivator bars 8. A racksegment 28 is also provided with this lever to secure the samein itsadjusted position.

In the practical operation of the machine, by adjusting the levers 20the tension of the springs 21 may be regulated as desired. These springsare adapted to maintain the plow feet in yielding contact with theground as the machine moves over the same and upon the plow feetstriking a stone or other obstruction and being deflected thereby so asto move the bar 8 transversely upon the end of the block 24, the spring20 will immediately return the cultivator bar to its normal positionafter passing such obstruction. When the frame 5 is vertically moved bythe manipulation of the lever 6, the cultivator bars are also elevatedas they are carried by said frame and vators may be quicklythrown out ofopera- 1 tion without altering the position of thevertica l'ly movableframe From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a verysimple and eflicient cultivator which is admirably adapted for use inthe preparation of the soil for planting purposes. It may, however, beused for the cultivation of the plants at different periods of theirgrowth. The cult-iva-tors may be easily and quickly adjusted and arealways held yielding-{1y in t eir proper operative pov 7 best resultsare secured. While I have shown and described the prebe obvious that thesame maybe variously modified Without departing from the esvantages ofthe same.

Having thus described the invention what 1. In a machine ofthe eharaeterdescribed, the combination with a vertically sl-ida-ble frame and p Ibars'having one of their ends connected toth'eframe, means forsimultanethe cultivator bars, and means for elevating 2. In a machine ofthe character described, Wheel ;si1pported guides, a frame vertically:fslidable in said guides, of a plura'lity of cultivator bars pivframe,means for raising and lowering "said frame and bars, and means arrangedon the whereby said n bars may be elevated independently of the frame.

sitlons whereby the ferred embodiment of the invention, it will sent-ialfeatures of sacrificing any of the adis claimed is:

, gu ides there-for, ofa plurality ofcultivator ously raising andlowering the frame and said bars independently of the frame.

the combination with otally supported at one of their ends by said frameand connected to the cultivator bars 3.- In a machine'of'the'characterdescribed,

springs connecting the combination with a vertically movable frame,oscillatory blocks carried by said frame, cultivator bars pivoted onsaid blocks for transverse movement, means yieldingly holding saidcultivator bars in alinement with the blocks and in their normaloperative positions, means for simultaneously raising and lowering theframe and the bars and means for independently elevating said cultivatorbars to an inoperative position.

4:. In a machine of the character described, the combination with avertically movable frame, of U-shaped shafts secured to the frame, anoscillatory block mounted on each of the shafts, a cultivator barpivoted to one end of each of said blocks for transverse movement,levers mounted on the frame,

springs connecting said levers and the cu-ltivator bars to yieldinglymaintain the cultivator bars in alinement with the blocks, means forsimultaneously raising and lowering the frame and bars, and means formoving said bars to a-n inoperative position independently ofthe frame.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with avertically movable frame, of U-shaped shafts carried by said frame, anoscillatory block mounted on each of the shafts, a cultivator barpivoted upon each block for transverse movement, a transverse shaftmounted on the frame, adjusting levers rotatably mounted on the shaft,said levers and cultivator bars to yieldingly maintain said bars intheir operative positions, means for simultaneously elevating the frameand bars and another lever mounted on said transverse shaft andconnected to said cultivator bars to elevate the same independently ofthe frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

I EWELL MONROE DOVVDY.

Witnesses:

YV. S. ARMSTRONG, J. G. COOPER.

